Mesopotamian Protective Spirits

Download or read book Mesopotamian Protective Spirits written by F. A. M. Wiggermann and published by BRILL. This book was released on 1992 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wiggerman's study of Mesopotamian monsters bridges the gap between text and image. Wooden and clay figures of monstrous spirits such as Hairy-One (lahmu), Bison-Bull (kusarikku), and Furious-Snake (mushussu) stand guard at the entrances to buildings to protect the inhavitants from demonic intruders. Deriving his information from the ritual texts that describe the production and installation of these figures, the author identifies the monsters of the texts with objects from the archaeological record and presents a detailed discussion of the identities and histories of a variety of Mesopotamian monsters.